Grantham Group to develop assisted living facility on Village Hill in Northampton

The Republican file | Dave RobackSome of the homes already constructed at Village Hill in Northampton are these units on Olander Drive. Now the Grantham Group has come forward with the intent of opening an assisted living facility in the development on the site of the former Northampton State Hospital.

NORTHAMPTON – A company that develops assisted living facilities is hoping to ensure that more seniors are added to the residential mix atop Village Hill.

Walter Ohanian, president of The Grantham Group, met with the public at the Senior Center Tuesday at the invitation of Mayor David J. Narkewicz to talk about his proposal for an 83-unit assisted living facility on Village Hill. The company operates similar facilities in Worcester, Marlborough, Webster and Attleboro. The plan comes on the heels of the announcement that Wright Builders is constructing a 16,300-square foot commercial building on Village Hill, most of which will comprise the new offices of Fazzi Associates, a Northampton consulting company that deals in home care, hospice and other services to seniors. Fazzi Associates has no connection with The Grantham Group, however.

In an interview, Ohanian said his developments, all of which are called Christopher Heights, differ from most assisted living facilities in that more than half the units are set aside for people who earn less than 60 percent of the area median income. On Village Hill, he said, 43 of the 83 units would be affordable housing.

According to the company’s website, the Christopher Heights developments began in 1994, when the company bought the former Belmont Home from the city of Worcester, turned it into a state-of-the-art nursing home, and built its first assisted living facility on adjacent land.

Christopher Heights facilities offer meals and activities as well as help with medication, bathing and other personal care. Ohanian acknowledged that there is a lot of competition but said there is also a lot of need for services geared towards the elderly.

“The Boomers are aging and we need to be ready for that,” he said.

The minimum age for residence at the facility will be 62, he said.

Ohanian said The Grantham Group must provide a certain percentage of affordable units because it applies for its funding through low-income housing tax credits. The company would build the facility on the north campus amid the current mix of residential housing. Ohanian estimated that the project would create 65 construction jobs. Once built, there would be another 40 permanent jobs at the facility, he said.